She’s 13 years old. She ignores me when her friends are around. She doesn’t laugh at my jokes, and has officially informed me that I am tone-deaf. Still she is the most important girl in my life. She is my daughter.
We bonded immediately after she was born; probably even before that. We have always spent as much time together as possible, but as she get’s older, I find that I need to be more creative in finding reasons to bond. Fortunately, I think she is being creative too.
For Christmas, my daughter purchased a manicure set and allowed me to work on my writing while she worked on what she insists are my ‘nasty’ feet. She likes that she get’s to boss me around insisting that I be perfectly still. I think she also likes to chastise me when I disobey. I’ll get my turn at her feet soon.
Other ways to bond with your daughter are:
Girls only vacations, even if just for the weekend. My daughter and I love getting away from the boys and doing things they wouldn’t understand. Eating ice cream in bed, sharing a meal so we have more money to buy clothes, and looking for trinkets at the thrift store would never be allowed on vacation if the guys were with us.
Home hair treatments are a great opportunity for bonding. Actually, going to a salon together isn’t a bad idea either. But there’s something special about spending time with my hands in her hair physically touching that is so much more personal than watching each other get their hair done.
Chick flicks and marathons should be enjoyed whenever your daughter has free time on her hands. Keep some of her favorite movies on hand and keep her favorite TV shows recorded on the Tivo so you can grab her for a day of movie or TV viewing when her schedule is clear.
~If you liked this you should also read my other posts at the home blog, the homeschooling blog, the parents blog, and the frugal blog. You can read my recent posts here.
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